CUBA - Varadero

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ian@1904

Registered
Messages
56
Reaction score
1
Location
Bedfordshire, England
# of dives
500 - 999
Under normal circumstances our house operates under the 'one man one vote' system. I am the only man in the house and therefore I have the vote. This year the girls have been clever and "told" me we are off to Cuba in July.

So we are staying in Varadero for a week or so in July 2008. I think the nearest dive centre is called Barracuda.

Can anyone confirm that this is the nearest dive centre to Vardaro?
Has anyone been there and used the centre. What was it like?

So long as the dive sites are OK and the gas fills are reasonably clean then the rest I can sort for myself.

As per my intro. I have done a few dives, and collected various tickets. not exactly new to diving. I will be taking all my own kit, plus a few spares just in case.
 
Hi, I was in Varadero last February/March time, and dove one day with Baracuda, and one day with another local operation. The other operation was a cattle boat that puked out diesel fumes and we were crammed 6 divers per DM and yelled at not to descend before him, ascend before him, leave him, etc. Baracuda's was a small "6 pack" style boat, that was faster and more fun, and the DM's were very easy going and friendly, and had no problem giving myself and my buddy (I was rescue certified with 14 years of diving, and he was an instructor) our own longer leash to enjoy the dive, provided we make our ascent with the rest of the group, but we were somewhat free to enjoy the dive without being sheep herded everywhere. I quite enjoyed diving with these guys and would not hesistate to go back and dive with them again. One thing to look into is a trip to the south side of the island, which they do once a week, I think Wednesdays. They told me that the south side was much nicer with coral walls and more marine life, but unfortunetly it didn't fit my schedule.

I hope you have fun while in Cuba, and keep in mind in a communist country, a tip goes a long way, not just for the DM's but for the cleaning staff in your hotel as well.

Jim
 
My Father in Law spent some time in Cuba back in the 80's and we know pretty much what to expect. In fact he is almost excited as we are.

I am a UK based BSAC instructor, and a quick chat showing my badge collection and log book usually means I get to do my own thing. I don't mind doing a check dive as I so rarely dive with a single cylinder-the max was a twinset and four stages........
 
I'm actually going to Varadero in March, and hoping to get in anywhere from 6-10 dives while I'm there. I have been to Cuba a few times, and had good experiences, but never to Varadero. I did to a trip to the south side a few years ago, and it was amazing. Thanks for the tip on Barracuda divers, Jimmer...I'll be sure to look them up. Does anyone have any other suggestions, either other good operators or must-see dive sites?
 
It amazes me that Cuban dive sites even exist. For all we know in the US they are a total blank. Describe them for me please, healthy? Easy to get to? Any shore diving?
 
I was in Cuba last fall and loved it! Where will you be staying in Varadero? The reason I ask is I stayed at the Breezes resort and scuba diving was offered -- 1 dive/day for free via boat. There wasn't much to see though.

As for dive ops, my understanding is all dive ops in Varadero are run by Barracuda... based on the second post, I reckon it depends on who you get that day.

If you're able, you may want to check out diving in the Bay of Pigs. I wasn't able to because I got sick, but apparently it's wall diving, and far better diving is to be had on the south side of the island than the north where Varadero is.

You'll love Havana! Varadero has a main drag but it's mainly cluttered with shops geared toward tourists. Market-wise, the best one is at the far west of the main drag if I'm remembering correctly. If the womenfolk like chunky, funky jewellery, they'll have a field day!

Enjoy your holiday! (Personally, I can't wait to go back. And hopefully it'll be before Castro dies. :wink:)
 
South Coast diving is great as "Annasea" notes the Bay of Pigs along with Isle of Youth, Maria La Gorda to name a few do a google search on these names or the Los Canarreos Archipeligo. I have been diving in Cuba for more than 20 years it has some great diving. I have met many people from all over the world since the late 80's including many American's(they fly through Canada,Cancun,Mexico etc). Forget the retoric as many US companies are doing millions of dollars worth of trade with cuba, ADM, Caterpiller and Perdue to name a few (oop's did I let the cat out of the bag) The general rule is the south and west coasts of Cuba are calm all winter (November to April) and the north coast is quieter in the summer (May to September). Have a great trip Ian@1904
 
Another poster made a great point - a euro or two tip means little to you, but everything to the average Cuban - you Brit's can be a little tight in the propina department (don't take this as a flame; but there are liveaboards that make European customers pay the tip in advance - I love the UK but tipping is more a way of life here in America, rightly or wrong); so err on the liberal side for those that provide you service.
 
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Another poster made a great point - a euro or two tip means little to you, but everything to the average Cuban - you Brit's can be a little tight in the propina department (don't take this as a flame; but there are liveaboards that make European customers pay the tip in advance - I love the UK but tipping is more a way of life here in America, rightly or wrong); so err on the liberal side for those that provide you service.

Also, don't be shy about bringing gifts (read necessities) for Cubans. I stocked up on toiletries, common meds, school supplies and candies to give to those I met. I noticed another Canadian giving away a bag of clothes. As Jupiter31 wrote, gratuities will be very appreciated. :)
 
Day to day items go a long way. We made sure to leave little things like hair ties and colouring books for the cleaning staff that had children, they really appreciate little things like that.

As for the politics, no one country does everything right, and no one country does everything wrong. I applaud Cuba on one aspect, and that is their education system. Being a communist country, they don't have to pay for their education, and as a result, there is a large amount of the population very highly educated. They have a very high concentration of doctors, (incidentally, Cuba offered to send a large number of doctors to the US after Hurricane Katrina, and was kindly told no thanks). Also, virtually everyone is fluently multilingual. I was informed by one employee at the resort, that it is standard for Cubans to learn 3 or 4 languages while in school.
 

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